Ball-retainer for radial ball-bearings



0. ALB. R. BRAKENHIE M; BALL RETAINER FOR RADIAL BALI. BEARINGS- v l APPLICATION map uov.'3'o. 191a. 1,352, 1410, PatentedSept. 7, 1920.

am wd W |NVENTOR ATTORNEYS w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL ALVAR BERNHABZD BUNSTEN BRAKENHIELM. OF

GO'ITENBOBG. SWEDEN.

ASSIGNOB TO AKTIEBOLAGET SVENSKA KULLAGEEFABRIKEN, OF GOT'IER- IBORG, SWEDEN, A CORPORATION OF SWEDEN. I

BALURE'IAINER FOB RADIAL BALL-BEARINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

Application filed November 80. 1918. Serial No. 264.801. r

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL ALVAR BERN- HARD RUNs'rEN BRZKENHIELM, a sub'ect of the King of Sweden, residing at ottenborg, in the Kingdom of Sweden, have invented new and useful Im rovements in drical in shape and serving as pockets for the balls.

The object of the invention is to provide a ball retainer of the said kind which positively retains the balls at the one track ring whether or not the balls be sustained by the other track ring. This feature is of. great importance, particularly in ball hearings in which the balls placed at the one bearing ring are capable of being brought out of engagement with the races of the other bearing ring; as for instance in so-called self-alining ball bearings having a spherical outer or inner track ring or in so-ealled three part bearings (magnet hearings), in which the inner track ring together with the balls is movable axially in relation to the outer track ring and may be removed from the said latter ring.

This condition is obviously fulfi ed if the circle determined by the two outermost points of a ball pocket and by a third point situated at the outer shoulder of the grooved bearing ring symmetrically in reation to the two first mentioned points is less than the reat circle of a ball the capabilityjof the ball retainer of holding the balls at the said bearing bein increased as the diameter of the ai oresaii l circle decreases or, which is the same, as

. the relative distances of the said three points decrease.

'- With this object in view, it has been previously roposed to provide the intermediate wa ls separating the ball pockets with relatively wide slots or notches running in a substantially peripheral direction. In such manner, laps or tongues areformed at the outer and at the mner periphery of the ball retainer ring, and

- these laps or tongues are bent in a direcsitates the insertion of the balls into the bearing before bending the tongues ofthe ball retamer, and, moreover, the ballscantongues.

tion toward each other and thus brought to partly embrace the balls so that the latter are prevented from falling out laterally. This entails, however, a considerable weakening of the ball retainer and necesnot be removed from the bearing without bending the ton ues back into their original position. urthermore, the drawback arises that the balls do not obtain an uninterrupted bearing surface in the peripheral direction, but the are caused to bear against the inner s arp edges of the The said inconveniences are overcome, according to this invention, by making the slots or notches in the partitions separating the ball pockets relatively narrow and placing same in the proximity of the outer or of the inner periphery of the ball retainer ring so that each of. said intermediate walls forms partly a rigid member serving as a support for the balls and partly an'elastic tongue bent in a direction toward the ri id part and preventing the balls from fafiing out. Thisenables the ball retainer to be finished before it is placed with the balls in the bearing, and, moreover, the balls may be removed from the bearing without the tongues being bent, inasmuch as the filling in as well as the removing of the balls 1s performed by making use of the elasticit of the ball retainer. Furthermore, the bal s obtain an uninterrupted bearing surface in the peripheral direction against the rigid part of the intermediate wall.

In the drawing, I have illstrated, by way of example, an embodiment of a bored ball retainer for a double row radial ball bearing. Figure 1 is an end view of the ball retainer. Fig. 2 is an axial section thereof. Fig. 3 shows schematically an axial section of the finished ball retainer.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the ball retainer, which is provided, in a known manner, with axially bored recesses forming ball pockets 2. 'In the form of cmbodiment shown, which is particularly 105 adapted for use in a double row self-alimng ball bearing having a spherical outer ball race, the intermedlate walls 3 separating the ball pockets are provided, in the proximity of the outer (or inner) periphery of the v ball retainer ring, with notches 4 made by turning in 'one working operation. The outer, elastic parts of the partitions 3 are then pressed by a suitably flmnel-sha presstool, toward the rigid parts, so t at the ball retainer obtains the form shown in Fig. 3. By this means, the distance between the two outermost points a and b of a ball ket as well asthe distance between the sa1d points and the outer shoulder of the inner bearing ring decreases so that the p balls will be positively retained at the said bearing independently of the bearing support at t e outer bearing ring, and, at the same time, the filling in of the last balls is Y unslitted where they come between the sucfacilitated on account of the increased elas- :ticity' of the ball retainer. The walls 3 between the recesses or pockets 2 are solid or cessive balls, thus receiving 1 un 'el ly the thrust imparted by the travefing lifils, 1 and'forming solid abutments between the balls, The elastic portions of the intervening walls are limited to the portions formed 1 .by the notches 4, which for this purpose are formed suitably near to the outer (or .in-

-.ble to ball retainers of the kind described which are made of-pressed sheet metal and in which the ball pockets are formed by laterally open axial impressions. Also, the invention is applicable in connection with bearings, analogous to ball bearings, wherein the rolling elements, instead of being spherical, are modified more or less from such form, and which, for the purposes of this invention, are the equivalent of ball bearings.

That I claim is:

1. A ball retainer for radial ball bearings consisting of a ring having laterally open recesses serving as pockets for the balls,'the intermediate walls se arating the said recesses being provide with notches, said notches .being arranged closely adjacent to one periphery of the ball retainer ring, so that each intermediate wall forms partly a rigid part serving as a support for the balls and partly a yielding tongue, said tongue slightly bent in a direction toward the rigid part and serving as a resilient retaining member for the balls.

2. A ball retainer according to claim 1, the walls between the pockets being wider at their outer sides than at their inner sides,

and the notches riphery.

3. the walls between the pockets being unmbeing nearer the outer peterrupted between the centers of successive pockets, whereby to afiord' solid abutments between successive balls.

4. A ball retainer according to claim 1,

the tongues being free at their outer ends, to lf)orm resil' ient retaining members for the alls.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature.

CARL ALVAR- BBB-HEARD nnnsrrn Bammnml.

A ball retainer according to claim 1, 

